How Can You Help to Strengthen Your Child's Phonics Skills?

 

When your children are reading and they come to an unknown word, encourage them to think of a word that makes sense. Then, help them to look more closely at the unknown word (is it a long word? a short word?) As well, children need to look at the first letter in the word because it is that letter, when put together with the other clues, that will help them to know what the unknown word is. Matching the correct sounds with the letters of the alphabet is called phonics.

 

 

Here are some suggestions for you to use when you're helping your child to practice putting letters and sounds together.
 

"I spy with my little eye, something that begins like s-s-s-sun."  Emphasize the sound of the first letter by stretching it out!
 

"What do you think is the letter that all these words start with: r-r-r-run, r-r-r-roof, r-r-r-ribbon, r-r-r-root, r-r-r-rather, r-r-r-rainbow, r-r-r-red?" Again, emphasize the first sound. You can take turns playing this game.
 

"Think of as many words as you can that start with the letter 'm' - m- m-m." Take turns calling them our to one another - man, milk, mother, Monday, music and so on. When you can't think of any more, select another letter. It will help your child be successful if you begin with letters that have very identifiable sounds such as m, s, b, f, l, c/k, p.
 
 

Together, cut out magazine pictures of objects you can find that start like s-s-s-sun and glue them onto a large piece of paper. Your child could use markers or crayons to make pictures of all the things he/she can think of that begin with the sound.
 

Go on a neighborhood walk to collect a variety of objects like stones, papers, twigs, and feathers. When you come back home, sort them according to the beginning sounds and/or ending sounds. You might want to glue them onto a large sheet of paper and below the object, print the letter that each object starts with.
 

Look for words in books that start with the same letter. Let your child point to the words as you say them aloud.